Blu-ray revs up its marketing

Blockbuster demos, 100 new titles among Sony's plans

By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 2/29/2008

FEB. 29 | Having knocked down HD DVD, Blu-ray Disc supporters now are positioning their advanced format as the one to beat standard DVD, cable and satellite for high quality video delivery.

New marketing efforts will immediately start cropping up at retail. HDTV/PlayStation 3 demonstration displays have been set up at about 1,000 Blockbuster stores in recent weeks. A variety of BD films will be screened at the displays, which are slated to roll out to all Blockbuster outlets in the next couple of months, studio executives said.

“We need to spend very little time congratulating ourselves on winning the format war. I think the worst thing the industry can do is rest on its laurels,” Sony Pictures Home Entertainment president David Bishop said. “Going forward, the messaging will be that Blu-ray is the best possible experience. It’s six times superior in picture quality to [standard] DVD. And it’s just the flat-out best high-def experience when compared to cable or satellite.”

Sony also is working with retail to offer discounts on Blu-ray product bundles. During the week starting Feb. 24, for instance, Best Buy shoppers could save $700 when purchasing together a 40-inch Bravia LCDTV, a 40GB PS3, professional installation services and a choice of BD and PS3 game titles. The package costs $1889.96.

Coinciding with major chains such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy publicly voicing support for BD, Bishop says that “really the next wave of this adopting will happen primarily at retail. They all will be increasing the amount of space that they dedicate to the format. You will be hard-pressed not to find a major retailer giving increased shelf space and promotion in store.”

In another marketing attack, BD backers are lining up take-it-to-the-streets events intended to get the format even closer to the consumer. Sony is discussing presenting Q&As with established directors, who can talk about their experiences with Blu-ray. The celebrity endorsements are an attempt to lure mainstream media attention.

“In order to get consumers on board on a broad level, to have directors that are well-known [approve BD] will add validation to the format,” said Bishop.

Panasonic is in the middle of outfitting the California Speedway, home to NASCAR racing, with Panasonic 40- to 50-inch high-def plasmas. At this point, Panasonic has just finished installing plasmas into all of the Speedway corporate suites. By August, Panasonic TVs will be spread throughout the entire venue. All together, there could be as many as 500 screens primed and ready to blast Blu-ray marketing in between race coverage, explained Panasonic execs showing off the new hardware to reporters.

During this year’s West Coast premiere of NASCAR racing at the Speedway Feb. 23-24, Panasonic also set up a truck inside the racetrack’s FanZone area, which showed off its TVs and BD players and featured MGM BD titles.

Sony’s Bishop said the studio will be releasing its largest selection of BD titles yet in 2008. Sony plans to street slightly more than 100 titles during the year, marking a 54% increase from its 2007 output. From launch to date, the studio has released 93 total BD titles.

Slate highlights include such upcoming theatricals as The Other Boleyn Girl with Natalie Portman, Hancock with Will Smith and Don’t Mess With the Zohan with Adam Sandler.

“In some respects, the [format war] ended a bit quicker than anticipated,” Bishop said. “I didn’t think we’d be sitting here in February and see that it was completely over. The early indications for Blu-ray are really positive. … Consumers are going to want to see these movies in a way they’ve never seen them before, and we are going to continue to feed that.”